“Glamping”

Jessica tells me that what we did over the weekend isn’t so much camping as it is “glamping” — glamorous camping.

The idea behind glamorous camping is that instead of staying in a tent, you stay in a house. A regular house, with central air, regular beds, pretty much all the amenities you’d normally leave behind when you go camping.

There are reasons to go not-camping, or glamorous camping, or glamping. Whatever you want to call it. A good reason is when you have a seven year old who has chronic lung disease, to give a very specific reason. The night air isn’t good for Namine’s lungs, which have always been and always will be weaker, due to her having had a trach as an infant.

That's not to say that we didn't have picnics, but they were inside for the most part.

The only way Namine would ever have the experience of camping is by being able to stay in a house with full climate control. She can enjoy all the rest: going for a hike (thanks to wheelchair-accessible trails and board/cordwalks) cooking out and toasting marshmallows, even visiting the beach.

Namine was looking forward to camping, but neither Jessica nor I could have predicted how much she’d love it. She kept asking if the cabin was our new home, and she was very sad when we had to leave. The weekend never lasts as long as you want it to, and we did have to come home. But I know she missed sleeping in her own bed — she was asleep pretty much as soon as she laid down.